Windows Mobile 7 Delayed Until 2011?

Email a friend

To

From

Thank you

Sorry

Google's Android mobile operating system is stealing the spotlight from Windows Mobile 7, so much so that reports say Microsoft's latest OS is delayed (again) due to Google's success.

Windows Mobile 7 was expected to arrive this year, bringing a considerable bunch of improvements. But a new BSN report say the O will be delayed until 2011 because manufacturers are still in love with Google's free-to-license OS.

Google's gamble with Android seems to be paying off: this year at the Consumer Electronics Show, which is usually a beacon of what's coming up in tech in the year ahead, we saw smartbooks, tablets, and mobile phones running Google's OS. Meanwhile, we saw little to no mention of Windows Mobile 7 at the show.

Steve Ballmer's keynote at CES, which was highlighted by the announcement of the Windows 7-powered Hewlett Packard tablet, didn't include any mention of Windows Mobile 7; only the current version (6.5), available on a few phones already, was discussed. Microsoft is expected to offer some details on the upcoming mobile OS at next month's Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, but that's not a given.

When Windows Mobile 7 was delayed from 2009 to 2010, Microsoft's excuse was that it was working on major changes. If Windows Mobile 7 makes a no-show next month, the Redmond Company risks alienating users and partner manufacturers as well. However, there is no official word from Microsoft on yet another delay for the mobile OS.

To comment on this article and other PCWorld content, visit our Facebook page or our Twitter feed.